Apr 17, 2009

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak says a lot of money is currently being spent on by-elections that are not needed. He said that a by-election should only be held when the elected representative died. He said this when asked to comment on the resignation of PKR’s Mohamad Fairus as Penanti state assemblyman on Thursday, which would likely see another byelection being held.

KLANG, April 17 — Newly-minted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is weary of by-elections and just wants to move forward with his job: fixing the limp economy and taking Malaysia to a higher level, all in the name of taking care of the public’s best interests, he says.

“Too much time, energy and ringgit are being spent on by-elections that are actually unnecessary,” he told reporters today after opening the 63rd annual general meeting of the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM).

Najib looked visibly tired when asked to comment on the likely by-election awaiting Penang voters in Penanti, a state seat within the mainland Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency.

Permatang Pauh voters also went to the polls last August, in which Najib led the Barisan Nasional campaign that resulted in a return to Parliament of his arch-rival Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Najib noted there had been too much “politicking in our country when right now we should focus on recovering our economy and taking care of the people’s interests and to move forward for the sake of our country and take Malaysia to a higher level of success”.

“This resignation is a political decision and can be likened to a political game for certain purposes,” he said, referring to Penanti assemblyman and former Penang Deputy Chief Minister I Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin, who resigned yesterday amid a flurry of corruption allegations just over a year after being elected to the seat on a PKR ticket.

“The rakyat generally do not like by-elections that are deliberately held,” he added.